


Just a Few Days

by hollandmarie



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: All i could imagine was mari like sobbing in the mud, F/M, I'm Sorry, I'm so sorry, The great strange magic angst off of 2015, Tumblr made me do it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 19:32:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4799600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollandmarie/pseuds/hollandmarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just a few days, my love,” Bog whispered, running his sharp claws carefully through Marianne’s hair. “Just a few days and I’ll be back with you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Few Days

“Just a few days, my love,” Bog whispered, running his sharp claws carefully through Marianne’s hair. “Just a few days and I’ll be back with you.”  
Marianne knew she was overreacting, but she couldn’t help blaming herself. Ever since their wedding, there had been murmurs- nothing substantial, but the idea was there- that some residents of the dark forest weren’t pleased with having a faerie on the throne. As the months passed, these murmurs became more and more prominent, until today, when word came in from the mushrooms that there was an uprising on the far edge of the forest, a day’s march at least from the castle.  
It wasn’t anything serious, Bog reassured her. The only reason he was going along was to quell any further thoughts of rebellion. They needed to see their Bog King, still as intimidating as ever. He was doing it for their safety, and they safety of their child, he said.  
Marianne hated the feeling of helplessness that came along with being with child. She couldn’t fly, couldn’t fight, couldn’t do much of anything useful for the Forest. She knew she couldn’t go along, not with their child only a few weeks away.  
So she stayed at the castle, overlooking the finishing touches on the nursery, keeping the goblins in line, and waiting.  
Three days past with no word on Bog, nor any of the goblins sent with him. Marianne tried to stay busy, doing anything that could be done- even, in desperation, talking to Griselda about baby names.  
Three more days past and the mild panic she felt was threatening to boil over. The child was stirring in her belly, constantly moving, as if it could pick up on her anxiety. She spent the days pacing the throne room, listening for the telltale buzz of wings, or at least the rushed pitter-patter of Thang’s feet as he came with news. But nothing.  
She couldn’t sleep, curled up on the throne, a blanket thrown over her legs and her hands on her stomach, feeling their child stir occasionally. She waiting for two more days like this, any aura of royalty gone from her. She didn’t care about keeping up appearances- the only goblins that dare come to the throne room those days were Stuff and Thang, bringing foods and drinks, blankets and pillows, urging the queen to take care of herself, if only for the child’s sake. She knew they meant well, but she was beyond caring at this point. She was tormented by all the horrible things that could have gone wrong.  
Finally, at the end of the seventh day, Thang came tottering into the throne room, stopping suddenly a few feet from the throne.  
“News from the mushrooms, my lady!” He declared. Marianne jumped up immediately at the sound in his voice.  
“Yes?” She asked eagerly.  
“The thing had to build!” He declared, a proud look on his face.  
Marianne sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Thank you, Thang. That will be all.”  
As soon as the goblin had left the room, she took off running toward the mushrooms. There had been rain for the last few days, and the mud was deep, taking her way too long to get to the closest toadstool. He stood there, watching her approach. It must have been a sight, the Queen, ready to burst with child, knee deep in mud, her hair even more disheveled than usual.  
Finally, she reached him. Panting, she asked, “What is the message?”  
He was silent for a moment, and then solemnly said, “The King has been killed.”  
Marianne thought she had known heartbreak before. She thought that the way her heart shattered seeing the old castle fall on Bog, thinking he was gone, was the worst it could get.  
But in that moment, she knew she had been so wrong. She fell to her knees, sinking further into the mud. Her ears were ringing, her fingers go numb. She felt like she was falling in slow motion, but she couldn’t get any lower. Again, everything was toppling around her, but this time, they couldn’t just find another castle.  
It couldn’t be true. She rose to her feet, running down the line of mushrooms, asking each one for the message. But the words stayed the same. Finally, after she had asked at least forty toadstools, she couldn’t bear it anymore. She allowed her tired limbs to give out and she fell to the ground, her vision blurring with the tears threatening to spill. She was tired of being strong. There was no point now.  
Marianne couldn’t tell you how long she stayed there, in the muck, spiraling lower into the darkness. She couldn’t tell you how long it was until Stuff came looking for her, calling for the other to come, she’s right here!  
Griselda came and wrapped a blanket around the faerie’s shoulders, her normally wide grin sunken, her normal chatter gone. She took her daughter-in-law’s hand, as if to share what little strength they had left.  
A few days passed. Marianne hadn’t said a word to anyone, even when the baby came. She went through the whole labor in silence, never even screaming out once.  
When they handed her her new son, swaddled in a new blanket of spider silk and flower petals, a single tear rolled down her cheek. He looked just like his father, right down to the piercing blue eyes staring up at her.  
“Bog,” She whispered, looking down at her son. “We’ll call him Bog.”

**Author's Note:**

> So there’s my first contribution to this beautiful fandom. My apologies if this has been done, just thought it up while doing laundry because of this bloody angst war.   
> Tea Blend!


End file.
